Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE TEXAS SECTION OF
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS

(Revised January 21, 1991)
(Previous Revision March 3, 1983)

ARTICLE I NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

ARTICLE II OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Association shall be the advancement of the teaching of Physics and the furtherance of appreciation of the role of physics in our culture. These objectives shall be carried out exclusively for education and scientific purposes.

Persons residing or employed within the boundaries of the state of Texas may be admitted as regular members if they are teachers of physics or if their admission will promote the objectives of the Association.

Persons residing outside the boundaries of the section may be admitted as associate members upon payment of dues. Associate members shall enjoy all the privileges of regular members except that they cannot vote in section elections.

Persons residing or employed within the boundaries of the state of Texas may be admitted as student members if they are currently studying physics. Student members shall enjoy all the privileges of regular members except that they cannot vote in section elections.

A person who has been a member of the Association for ten years prior to his or her retirement shall, upon retirement, become an emeritus member. The section council may by special action, designate other persons as emeritus or honorary members. Emeritus and honorary members shall enjoy all the privileges of regular membership and shall pay no dues.

ARTICLE IV OFFICERSThe officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-elect, the Immediate Past President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

The President shall preside at meetings of the Council and business meetings of the Association, and shall have other duties as ordinarily associated with a presidential office or as may be determined by the Council. The President shall hold office from the close of one annual fall meeting until the close of the next fall meeting, and then shall succeed to the office of Immediate Past President.

The President-elect shall assume the duties of program chairman for the spring meeting, and shall have such other duties as may be determined by the Council. The President-elect shall hold office from the close of one annual fall meeting until the closing of the next annual fall meeting, and shall then succeed to the office of President.

The Immediate Past President shall assume the duties of program chairman for the fall meeting, and have such other duties as may be determined by the Council.

The Vice-President shall have such duties as may be determined by the Council. The Vice-President shall hold office from the close of the annual fallmeeting following election until the close of the next annual fall meeting, and then shall succeed to the office of President-elect.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall have the duties ordinarily associated with that office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall take office at the close of the annual fallmeeting following election and shall serve a four year term. The Secretary-Treasurer shall not be limited in the number of consecutive terms which can be served.

ARTICLE V SECTION REPRESENTATIVE
The Texas Section Representative to the Council of the American Association of Physics Teachers shall be responsible for representing the Texas Section at all national meetings, communicating AAPT information to the Texas Section and such other duties as determined by the Section Council.

If the Section Representative is unable to attend a national meeting of AAPT, an alternate shall be appointed subject to approval by the Council. The Section Representative shall notify the AAPT Secretary in writing of the change in representation prior to the meeting. The Section Representative shall take office at the close of the annual fall meeting following election and shall serve a four year term. The Section Representative shall not be limited in the number of consecutive terms which can be served.

ARTICLE VI COUNCIL
The Association shall be governed by the Council consisting of the officers, the Section Representative, and three elected Members-at-Large. Members-at Large shall take office at the close of the annual fall meeting following election and shall serve three year terms, with the terms staggered so that one Member-at-Large is elected each year. The three Members-at-Large shall include representation from senior colleges, two-year colleges, and secondary schools. In the event of any officer or Council member is, for any reason, unable or unwilling to fulfill the constitutional duties prescribed for that office, then the Council shall have the power to declare a vacancy and to take appropriate action to fill the vacancy. Such action shall require approval by two-thirds of the Council members.

ARTICLE VII COMMITTEESThere shall be a Nominating Committee and an Awards Committee, which is chaired by the Section Representative, appointed by the President and approved by the Council. The President, with the consent of the Council, may appoint other committees of one or more members as he/she may deem desirable to further the objectives of the Association. Such committees shall cease to exist no later than the end of the term of office of the President who appoints them.

ARTICLE VIII ELECTIONSOfficers, Members-at-Large of the Council and the Section Representative shall be elected by a simple majority of the voting members of the Associations, voting at the time of the annual spring meeting. Candidates for any position shall be members of the Association, nominated by the Nominating Committee or directly by voice or written petition to the President of at least 10 voting members of the Association prior to the election.

ARTICLE IX DUESDues shall be set by the Section Council to cover the expenses of the Association. The fiscal year for the Association shall begin on January 1.

ARTICLE X MEETINGSThere shall be an annual fall meeting and an annual spring meeting arranged by the Council. Notices of the time and place of these meetings shall be mailed to all members of the Association.

ARTICLE XI NONDISCRIMINATION
The Association shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, or sex.

ARTICLE XII NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Notwithstanding any other provision of the constitution, this Association shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law, or (b) by any association contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.

This Association shall continue forever unless a two-thirds majority of the members voting in a mail ballot conducted in such a manner as the Council may prescribe shall vote to dissolve the Association. A proposal to dissolve the Association may be submitted for vote by the Council at any time. In the even that the Association is dissolved, the Council, after paying or making provision for payment of all liabilities of the Association, shall dispose of all assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association to such charitable, educational, or scientific organization or organizations as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United State Internal Revenue Law, except that in the case of funds granted by an Agency stipulated otherwise, disposition shall be made in accordance with provisions contained in the pertinent grant documents.

ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended by:

a two-thirds majority of the voting membership present at a business session, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been given to the members at least two weeks before the meeting, or

a two-thirds majority of those members voting in a mail ballot conducted by the Section Council.

ARTICLE XIV BY LAWS
By-Laws may be added to this Constitution if recommended by the Council and approved by a simple majority of the voting membership present at a scheduled Association business meeting.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment: Change Article VI Council to add the following language:

“The Council shall also include a liaison to the Science Teachers Association of Texas, who will take office at the end of the Fall Meeting and serve a three-year term. The duties of the STAT Liaison are described in the STAT Liaison Duties document posted on the TSAAPT web site. The STAT Liaison will be elected at the same time as the High School Representative, and, if a candidate is willing, the same person may hold both offices. If not, the STAT Liason may run unopposed.” (add period)

Rationale: The duties of STAT liaison were in the past voluntarily assumed by (by not my) the High School Member at Large, but have become increasingly difficult for one person to take on. If we are to continue to have a presence in the Science Teachers Association of Texas, of which we are an affiliate, it is necessary to have someone to take on these responsibilities. If we cannot fulfill these responsibilities, we will need to consider our status as a STAT affiliate. STAT is our largest link to high school teachers in the state of Texas.

TWO-YEAR COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVE The primary job of the Two-Year College Section Representative is to serve as a voting member of the TSAAPT Executive Council. When possible, the TYC Rep is to represent to the Executive Council the interests and concerns of two-year college members, and to act as liaison between the Executive Council and two-year colleges. The TYC Rep may choose to elicit responses from two-year colleges to present before the TSAAPT Executive Council. In the past, this has been accomplished in the form of letters sent to two-year college physics departments soliciting input.